Holiday is an action thriller film, directed by A.R. Murugadoss and produced by Vipul Amrutlal Shah, Twinkle Khanna and Aruna Bhatia. The film stars Akshay Kumar and Sonakshi Sinha in the lead roles, with Govinda and Sumeet Raghavan in supporting roles, and Freddy Daruwala in the negative role. The film is a remake of the south superhit film ‘Thuppakki’. The music of this movie has been scored by Pritam. The originals music was composed by Harris Jayaraj and it had received mixed response. However, where Pritam is concerned, the music has always been taken to another level altogether. There are total five songs in the film, and the soundtrack contains two more, which are reprises of previous songs. This is also Pritam’s last year before his sabbatical until next year, when he will continue with ‘Phantom’ and ‘Jagga Jasoos’. So let’s see how Pritam has scored the music for ‘Holiday’, before going on ‘holiday!’ 😀

1. Shaayraana:-Singer ~ Arijit Singh

Pritam and Arijit– a deadly combo! When a reputed lyricist as Irshad Kamil joins, they become a ‘terrific trio’! This song is a cute, sweet romantic song composed brilliantly by Pritam. Arijit has used his higher pitched voice here, and has sung the song near flawlessly. The song starts with some guitar strums, followed by a beautiful (yes, it’s very beautiful!) harmonium piece which will instantly hook you to this song. When Arijit starts singing this happy-go-lucky song, you would immediately forget all tension for the entire duration of the song, and this song will cheer you up if you are feeling down as well. The backing vocals (done by Arijit himself) are very catchy too. The way Pritam has made Arijit repeat the word ‘Shaayraana’ sounds great and increases the catchiness. The tune and instruments used make this song sound like an Irish folk song. The mild piano notes in the backdrop also sound very cute. The lyrics by Irshad Kamil are your everyday romantic lyrics, but the way they have been used by Pritam is outstanding! I don’t think it can get cuter than this! A must-listen and also a #5StarHotelSong!

To be frank, when this song released, I didn’t like it that much because I felt that it was a very ordinary track compared to what Pritam has given in the last two years! It reminded me of Pritam’s ‘Tum Mile’ days, when he used to compose such songs. However, every time I heard it or saw it on TV, I started liking it and it grew on me over the days. I still feel it is missing Pritam’s touch a bit, but according to the situation in the film, it must be appropriate. Anyways, let’s talk about the song and not if I like it or not because the truth is that it is already a superhit song. The song has been included in two different versions in the soundtrack, one by Benny Dayal for the promotions and one by Kunal Ganjawala which I guess will be actually used in the film. Good choice, because Benny’s voice didn’t suit on Akshay at all. Both versions have the same musical arrangements. The song mostly has techno sounds, and a violin loop which comes throughout the song is very nice. It is those type of songs where a boy shows off and tries to ‘patao’ the girl, who just ignores him. 😛 The lyrics are good too, perfect for the song. The techno part at the end is a bit too long, but still fun. I liked both the versions, as the only difference is the voice. Benny carries out some high notes with great ease, though, whereas Kunal couldn’t seem to reach them. An ordinary song from Pritam, which will grow on you over time so much that you will find yourself humming it all day!

3. Ashq Na Ho:-Singer ~ Arijit Singh

THIS kind of stuff I was expecting from Pritam in this movie! Probably the first song of this type by Pritam, this is a sad melodious song. Arijit has been roped in to sing this song too, and he has used his deep voice here. It is a song about an armyman traveling away from his family and friends and lover, to go fight the war. The tune is so good, that I cannot explain it in words! Pritam has used traditional Indian instruments in the song. I’ve seen people calling this song ‘dull’ and ‘okay-ish’. Well, maybe they couldn’t understand the sentiments of the character who is singing this song. It is a perfectly PERFECT song, and I can even say it is flawless! I cannot find anything wrong with the song whatsoever. A very touching song! Another #5StarHotelSong!!

Starting with mild piano notes followed by techno sounds, this song will hook you right from the beginning. The tune is too catchy to forget, especially the ‘na-na-na-na’ hook. The singers have both given their best, and together create magic with their voices. The arrangements are very smartly done, mostly techno sounds have been used. The antara by Aditi is awesome. Such a slow, calm line in club songs is very rarely seen nowadays. X-Factor India contestant Piyush Kapoor makes his Bollywood singing debut, with a rap. I felt his rap is a bit expressionless, but it is very small, so I didn’t pay attention. The hook line, ‘Blajme the night…’ has a very nice tune, going higher with each time they say it. Though definitely not as good as Pritam’s last club song, ‘Desi Romance’ from ‘Shaadi Ke Side/Effects’, it is still a commendable effort. Pritam has been very consistent with his club tracks, and continues to be so! A must-hear catchy club track, with perfect vocals and a could-be-better rap, but awesome tune!#5StarHotelSong!

This song (first version) reminded me of Pritam’s ‘Race’ and ‘Singh Is Kinng’ days for some reason, with the way it starts, with the percussion beats. It is a party song composed in half-qawwali style. Mika has returned to singing good songs, after some weak tracks in the first part of the year. Ritu Pathak sings good, but I would have preferred someone like Shalmali or Sunidhi over Ritu. The tune is very catchy, again and it will make you dance wherever you are. Kaushik & Sukumar, who have done backing vocals in the initial parts of the song, have done well in their short part too. The musical arrangements are awesome! The tablas in the hook line sound great, something which only a genius can think of! In the antaras, Pritam has kept the arrngements relatively soft, whereas anyone else would have added whatever instruments they could get their hands on in that part, which would have made it lose its charm. The second version just has different arrangements and some added instrumental pieces at the end. It also has some Spanish vocals at the starting. Such Desi songs, Pritam gets to compose very less, but he has shown his expertise in those as well with ‘R…Rajkumar’ and some songs from ‘Phata Poster Nikhla Hero’ last year. Listen to this track! I enjoyed it a lot because if the qawwali touch which was a great idea!

Overall:-This album is definitely not one of Pritam’s best, but nonetheless it is very good, with all songs composed exactly as per demand of the script. The romantic and sad tracks stand out, with the club song following and the last two also good songs. The only problem is that, Pritam has given us way better than this last year and even in ‘Shaadi Ke Side/Effects’ this year, that everyone has started expecting too much from him now. He has raised his own standards, and now he has set a bar very high. Compared to what he has given, this album is good, but if you do not compare it to any of his previous works, you will find it perfect. Considering the genre of the movie, this sound track is a clear winner, with all tracks perfect according to situations. Now what more can we ask for! If there wasn’t any scope, how could he have made it any better? 😀 So, I conclude by saying that Pritam has earned himself a very, very well-deserved holiday, with this ‘Holiday’ album! After entertaining us nonstop for so many years, he deserves at least that much!

Final Rating for This Album:- सा < रे < ग < म < प < ध< नी

Note:- The letter which is underlined is the final rating

Which song is your favorite from Holiday? Please vote for your favorite! 🙂

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